Wheel.



N. H. RANKIN.

WHEEL. APPLICATION I'IL'ED JUNE 26, 1809.

Patented Apr. 11, 1911.

wi invano NICHOLAS H. RANKIN, 0F PAULINE, NEBRASKA.

WHEEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 11, 1911.

Application filed J une 26, 1909. Serial No. 504,544.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known t-hat I, NICHOLAS H. RANKIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pauline, in the county of Adams and State of Nebraska, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Wheels, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to wheels especially adapted to be used on light vehicles, the object being to provide a resilient wheel which is so constructed that the resilient material will be protected whereby the life of the same is increased.

A st-ill further object of the invention is to provide a wheel with a rubber hub and a rubber felly in which the respect-ive ends of the spokes vare secured so as to allow the wheel to give when traveling over rough roads. 1

Another object of the invention is to provide spoke holding members for holding the spokes in their proper positions, said members also serving to hold the rubber telly in its proper position.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a wheel which is exceedingly simple and cheap in construction and one in which the parts are so arranged and secured together that a very strong and du rable wheel is formed.

lVith these objects in view my invention consists of the novel features of construe tion, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, pointed out in the claims and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a wheel constructed in accordance with my invention, the hub being partly broken away to show the manner of securing the spokes therein. Fig. 2 is a section taken on line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the spoke holding members.

In carrying out my improved invention I employ a metallic rim A having hooked flanges A between which is adapted to be secured a rubber felly B which is held in position by spoke holding members D adapted to be arranged over each of the spoke sockets B of the telly B, said spoke holding members comprising sleeves having integral parallel arms D provided with angled ends D2 adapted to tit under the hooked edges of the rim A and be held therein by the resiliency of the rubber felly B which bears against the inner faces of the arms D so as to hold the arms apart and it will be' seen that the spo-ke holding members D also hold the felly in its proper position. In placing the felly in the spoke members in position in the rim, the elly is put under pressure so as to allow the angled ends to be inserted under the hooked flanges of the rim and when the pressure is removed the felly and spoke holding members will be securely locked to the rim by the expansion of the rubber felly.

Extending through the sleeve portions of the holding members D are spokes E provided with tenons E on their outer ends adapted to tit within the spoke sockets B of the felly B, the spokes working loosely through the sleeves of the holding members. The other ends of the spokes extend through openings F formed in a metal shell F in which is secured a rubber hub G provided with spoke sockets Gr in which the ends of therespective spokes fit and it will be seen that by this arrangement the wheel is allowedvto. give when an obstruction is brought into engagement with the same, as the spokes work loosely through the openings F of the shell F. The hub is provided with the ordinary boxing I-I adapted to receive the ordinary axle spindle and in placing the rubber hub Gr within the shell F pressure is applied to the same so that after it has been forced into the shell the expansion of the rubber will hold the same in its proper position and after the boxing has been inserted in t-he bore of the hub it will be impossible for the hub to move.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that I have provided a vehicle wheel with a rubber hub and a rubber felly in which the respective ends of the spokes are mounted whereby a very elastic wheel is formed in which the elastic material is protected so that the life of the same is greatly increased without decreasing the elasticity of the wheel.

What I claim is 1. A vehicle wheel comprising a rim having hooked edges, an elastic telly arranged on said rim between said edges provided with spoke sockets, spoke holding members provided with angled arms secured under the hooked edges of said rim by said felly, spokes extending through said holding mem bers into said sockets and an elastic hub in which the other ends of said spokes are adapted to be secured.

Said Spokes, seid metal rim being provided with hooked edges :md Spoke holding memhere eon'ipiieng sleeves adapted to fit loosely over said spokes, said sleeves being" provided with integrally spaced arms teru'iinuting in angled ends adapted to be held under the hooked edges of seid rim by said felly.

NICHOLAS H. RANKIN.

Vitnesses:

R. L. WOODS, PARKER ANDERSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

